BERKELEY – The Central Regional Board of Education introduced a tentative budget on March 16 that listed no increase or a decrease for most of the sending districts.
Business administrator Kevin O’Shea said that bids for the middle school roof and the high school canopy came in lower than expected, which allowed the district to fund an additional project. The new project is a public address, or PA system. This was an item that some board members were really pushing for earlier in the budget process.
Central encompasses five different towns, each with their own taxes. According to district figures, they would be:
- Berkeley: The tax rate would remain flat.
- Ocean Gate: On a home with the average assessment of $198,800, taxes would decrease $4.75 a month.
- Island Heights: On a home with the average assessment of $384,754, taxes would decrease $12.19 a month.
- Seaside Heights: On a home with the average assessment of $224,500, taxes would decrease $3.54 a month.
- Seaside Park: On a home with the average assessment of $549,390, taxes would increase $29.45 a month.
The total budget for the 2017-2018 school year will be $38,984,238, an increase of $1,326,730 from 2016’s total budget of $37,657,508.
The district will continue its goal of being debt free by 2021, officials said.
